Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
| Ground information | |||
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| Location | Hastings, East Sussex | ||
| Establishment | 1864 | ||
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| Source: CricketArchive | |||
The Central Recreation Ground was a cricket ground in Hastings, East Sussex, used for first-class and List A cricket between 1864 and 1996. The ground was frequently used by Sussex County Cricket Club as one of their outgrounds from 1865; in total, Sussex played 143 first-class and 17 List A matches at the ground. Between 1887 and the 1960s, the Central Recreation Ground also played host to the Hastings & St Leonards cricket festival, which attracted many other teams and notable players. In the early twentieth century, the ground hosted seven Gentlemen v Players matches, and notable players to have played at the ground include W.G. Grace, Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs and Denis Compton. Grace made over 40 appearances at the ground, whilst both Hobbs and Compton broke the record for most first-class centuries in a season at the Central Recreation Ground. The ground also hosted a women's one-day international between England and New Zealand in 1984. In the 1980s, planning permission was given for the ground be demolished, and the land used to build a shopping centre. After the demolition of the ground in 1996, the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre was built on the site.
In total, the Central Recreation Ground hosted 228 first-class matches, and 14 List A matches. The ground was initially leased from the Cornwallis family (the descendants of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis), until 1869 when the ground was purchased by the cricketing trust. Between 1887 and the 1960s, the ground hosted the Hastings & St. Leonards Festival in September, which was the southern equivalent of the Scarborough Festival. During these festivals, seven Gentlemen v Players matches were played on the ground between 1889 and 1903, and in 1907 & 1909, matches took place between Gentlemen of the South and Players of the South. The 1909 match was the only first-class match played by British Army officer Leonard Slater, and was a victory for the Players of the South by 228 runs.
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